Voting machine



R. D. UHTHo-k= VOTING MACHINE Y Filed Dec. 18, 1929 2 sheets-sheet l Dec. 26, 1933.

2 Shets-Sheet 2 R. D. UHTHOFF VOTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1929 Dec. 26, 1933.

Een'.

lobjects are attained.

Richard 1).Uhth`off, Cresskll, N`. yJ., assigner fone-tenth to Benjamin, Webster and nine-ij twentieths to Thomas A; Dobson, both of New Y f v York, N. Y.; Frieda M.,Uhthoffladministratrix of said Richard-D. Uhthoi, deceased Application DecemberlS, V1929i .y

v This invention relates tovoting'machines and moreparticularly to thatV type in which a register tallies the 4number-of votes cast Aon'each voting knob. v1' .c l.

Ithas for its objectaamong others: First, to provide a simple, -certain, and robust `mechanism f -forprintinga record. of the 'vote registers; sec- L9nds tofprovidefsuch a device thatmay be opf erated byfaf` quick, simple motion external vto the machine; third, to make the Arecordr complete and positive in every detail; and fourth; to make irnprovements inthe devices by which the foregoing Reference is made tothe drawings which are hereby made a part of ,thisspecificationy in vwhich Figure 1 is aside elevation witha part broken out, the roll in printing position,v w l S'Figure'z is a View 'similar to Figure-1' showing the upper. roll illustratedA Figure l1 and tW0 more rolls which are broken out in Figure 1, the

Y rolls in Ynonprinting position,

Figurev 3 isfa rear elevation of 'onefof' the :relis andthe adjacent roll inpart'broken away `ininonpartsthroughoutthe specification. A horizontal printing position with reference 'totheivote regis- `r25 ters, 1

Figure 4-is a view partslbroken away at the right, and f Figure 5 illustrates one of the .flexible joints in the roll-supporting shaft. "-Similar numerals of l.reference r round bar or rod 1 supports a'horizontal row of vrollers 2` each'T of which isrcoveredwith arubber =pressure face or plate 3.1 Transverseslots'i elon;

gated horizontally inthe vertical bars 5 support the :rod .1 movably to andfrom the vote registers v16. Astud 6 projects transversely. from thehorizontal bracket '7 and is adapted to travel in the Vvverticaleccentrically formed slot 8 at the top of each vertical bar 5. The slotr8 is so formed that as the vertical bar 5 is raised the stud -6 travels in an inclined portion the length of which is suflicient torcarry the bar toward the vote registers 16 a'distance equivalentto the distance of the pressure rolls 3 from the faces of the voteregisters in their nonprinting position." j The slot 8 is then continued in a downward straight portion of a length suicient to permit the pressure rolls to roll completely over the faces ofthe numerals onthe vote registers. The slot is then continued in another inclined portion to carry the printing rolls away from the registers. Upon-reversing y similar to Figure 3 with'rotherV -ing .registers which `gives double assurance off. a y

printed record. yAvvertical toothed rack 9 is secured'to the lower'portion of 'each vertical bar to provide. a Ameans for'vertical reciprocationof. y the bars as will be more particularly Vdescribed@ hereinafter.v The oar 5.is prevented from transverse yor endwise movement by two brackets 10 one of whichkis mounted on each side of the vertical bar'and connected tothe lower endofma vertical angled strip` 11 at one endand at the otherito the 'pedestal 12 Whichis in turn fastened to. the basey of themachine. `The stripsjllare mounted in ,pairs asV clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4 with the right-angled strip 13 turned inthe opposite directionzin eachpairqand each pair has journaled therein a roller 14 above and adjacent a projection 15, a series of which is formed on the vertical bar 5.l The form'of the vvprojection 15 is similar. length andof a length suiiicient to carry.

-the'pressure rolls @from the nonprintingposin tion'into .engagement with the surfacesl of the ,Y

numerals'of the vote registers. When. the vertical bar 5 is raised the upper inclined surface of vprojection 15A engages roller 14 which forces 'the bar towardthevote registers 16. After the pres- Y surerrolls 2 are in v.engagement with they faces of 'the voteA registers the rolls 141travel over thever- Y85' rticalplane surfaces of the projections thus afford-v ving, a complete printingwrecord from bottom to top and the.' lower inclined surfaoespermit the ver-Vy .tical vbarktoagaintravel away. Y When, however, the vertical bars are again lowered the `printing ,y

:rolls arelagain carried toward the vote'registers and roll dow-n over the entire faces lof the,l nu- .meralsi from top to bottom and again are carried l away: into the nonprinting position. By means 'of'thisdevice there is' a positive printing operan ltion initially, a continued upward impression over Vthe entire faces of the numerals on the vote j registers and a second positive impression made in the opposite direction thus assuring a perfect vote record from each and every register, the55 mechanism thus assuring positive and definite impressions at all times. Mounted on each side of the' vertical bar'5 and overlying each slot ri to the rear of rod 1 is a spring 17 fastened at the.' lower end in a slit stud 18, bent back of the rod- 1 and at its upper-end passed in front of the pin 19.V These springs provide for wear or any irr'egularities` inthesurfaces of the pressure rolls and makeva spring-pressed contact between the rubber faces 3 and the numerals of the vote 1110 printing position the teeth on the wheel are those nearest the center and when the printing rolls are in the nonprinting position the gear teeth most remote from the center are in engagement with the rack. The eccentricity of the gear wheel 22 is proportioned to the distance "between the rolls in the nonprinting position andthe vote registers. A crank 23 is connected with a shaft passed through the side wall of the machine'so that the printing operation is completed without access to the mechanism of the machine.,

The rods l are provided at a point adjacent the center of leach vertical bar each witha flexible 'joint formed `by the convex protuberance 24 on vone section of therod 1 and a symmetricalooncavity 25 in the adjacent section of the rod 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. There are two vote registersl between each pair of vertical bars 5 Aand the roller 1 which overlies each pair is mountedon a separate section of the rod 1 and is under resilient pressure from the springs 17 on the adjacent vertical lbars 5, whereby a uniform printling pressure is applied onV all the .vote registers 16` of the machine.

Thestrip 26 shown in section is the vertical strip usually employed to support the voting Vregisters at the rear of the voting machine of the manually operated type in which there is a' series of votingknobs. It is obvious that the various units employed inv my invention can be increased or decreased in number to provide for any desired number of vote registers and that many modifications may be made in the details `of my invention of which I have illustrated and described a preferredem- `bodiment, and therefore I do not'choose Vto limit lmyself except as in the appended claims;

VVVI claim: -v 1. In-a voting machine provided with a series of vote registers, a shaft adjacent a registerVa Ypressure roll on saidshaft,vertical bars on which 'lsaid vshaft is mounted, means for moving -said bars toward said register, and means comprising l 'arack and a toothed wheel eccentrically mounted for lifting said bars.

V 2. -In a voting machine provided with a series of vote'registers, a shaft adjacent a register,v a pressure roll mounted on said shaft, a vertical -bar onwhich said shaft is mounted, means for `moving said vertical bar toward and away from said register comprising a slot and stud and a vroller and an inclined surface, a rackon the lower .portion of said bar, a toothed wheel portion and a proximate inclinedportion on :either side merging into averticalportion.`

lbars betwee'nthe 'rolls and means for moving a said bars toward and away from said vote registers adapted to Vbe operated externally to the machine.

Y p 4. In a voting machine provided with a series of :vote registers in horizontal rows, a Vseries of 'pressure rolls adapted to engage the vote registersl ina horizontal row, a shaftY o-n which said pressure rolls are mounted comprising flexible joints, and `means for moving said .pressure .rolls Atoward and across said row ofvote *registers and.=away from said row of Vote registers, V`cornprising a plurality of slots having each a central 5. In a voting -machine provided with horizontal and vertical rows of vote registers, Ahorizontal shafts adjacent the horizontal rows ,of registerapressure rolls'on `said shafts, vertical bars inwhich saidshaftare rotatably mounted, and 4means for pressing said bars toward .said registers comprising studs traveling .in inclined slots.

6. Ina votin'gmachine Vprovided with A,hori- 1-10 zontal and vertical rows of voterregisters,;lhori zontal shafts adjacent the horizontal rows vof registers, pressure rolls on said shafts, ,vertical bars onwhichsaid shafts are rotatably mounted, and imeans for .pressing .said bars to.ward'said115 registers comprising studs traveling inpinclined" slotsand rolls bearingv on .inclined surfaces. V 1

7. In a voting machine lprovided with horif zontal and vertical rows .of vote registeraxhori.- zontal shafts adjacent the horizontal rows 01:5120

registers, pressure rolls -on said; shafts, vertical bars on which said shafts are. mounted,; and means for pressing said .bars toward saidiregisters comprising inclined surfacesandxrollers.

8. In a voting machine provided withghor- 125 zontal and vertical'ro-ws of vote registers, -ghorizontal Ashafts Iadjacent A.the horizontal Yrows-of registers, pressure rolls onsaidshafts,v vertical bars on vwhich said shafts vare mounted,l means for moving the upper portions of said busto-1.30 ward said registers, and means comprisinganl eccentrically mounted member for `lifting said bars. e Y

`RICHARD D. UHTHQFF. 

